


8 Simple Rules (For Dating Tony Stark)

by justanotherpipedream



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Canon Divergence - Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Ceiling Vent Clint Barton, Developing Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, M/M, Protective Jarvis (Iron Man movies), Protective Rhodey, Rhodey Is a Good Bro, Team as Family, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-02
Updated: 2017-10-09
Packaged: 2019-01-06 19:05:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12217068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justanotherpipedream/pseuds/justanotherpipedream
Summary: Bucky blinked as he stared at the list in front of him. "8 Simple Rules (For Dating Tony Stark)" was underlined in bold, black sharpie. Bucky gaped as Rhodey stared back at him, completely serious. All Rhodey ever wanted was for his best friend to be happy. And, if that meant outlining everything for Bucky in black ink to make sure these two love-sick idiots stayed together, then Rhodey would do it.(a.k.a. Rhodey's 8 simple rules for dating Tony Stark)





	1. Wannabe

**Author's Note:**

> Part of the 2017 Winterironbang, this minibang will be accompanied with art by both [theMidgey](https://archiveofourown.org/users/theMidgey) and [Aislingsiobhan.](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aislingsiobhan) Once they're posted, I'll throw up the links!
> 
> A million thanks and cheers to my wonderful beta, [Akira_of_the_Twilight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akira_of_the_Twilight) \- thanks again for all of your amazing help and encouragement!

Bucky was on edge.

It's not that he didn't like Colonel Rhodes. Before he and Tony had started dating, Rhodes was (understandably) wary when Steve had brought Bucky to the tower. But after a week or so of suspicious looks and measured glances, Rhodes started to relax, slowly reaching out to Bucky in his own way.

On his visits to the tower, Rhodes would stop to chat and hang out with Bucky after his visits with Tony. As Tony and Bucky got closer and closer, Rhodes started pulling Bucky into more chats and the occasional lunch with Tony.

Rhodes would even lend Bucky some of his favourite movies. One day, Rhodes had pulled out a giant stack of DVDs and set them onto the coffee table. “Tony was appalled that you haven’t seen a bunch of these yet, so I’m leaving these for the two of you. They’re classics, no matter what Tony says.”

(Rhodes was right, they were classics. Although, it was kind of funny that Rhodes was a b-flick sci-fi movie enthusiast. Bucky did get to hold a grumbly Tony all the while, muttering about the bad science into Bucky’s neck, so in the end that was a definite win.)

It eventually became a common sight for the Avengers to stumble across Bucky and Tony curled up together on the couch, munching on popcorn and talking back to the screen. Occasionally, the rest of the team would even join them as they sprawled all over the living room with blankets and snacks.

(Bucky stubbornly ignored Steve and Sam’s knowing looks. So what if Bucky was always early to claim his spot next to Tony on the loveseat? No matter what Steve thought, Bucky most definitely did **not** sulk when Clint decided one day to sit in Bucky’s seat. Also, so what if Bucky was ten minutes early the next movie night to smugly guarantee a spot on Tony’s right?)

After months of lingering looks and soft touches, Rhodes had rolled his eyes and plopped his best friend onto Bucky’s lap. Tony squeaked. He stared up at Rhodes in utter betrayal as Bucky automatically curled his arms around Tony’s waist, both of them gaping up at the unimpressed Colonel.

“Just date already. I’m getting cavities from watching your disgustingly cute and totally indiscreet pining.”

A week or so after Tony and Bucky had officially started dating, Bucky wasn’t surprised to feel eyes staring him down as he kissed Tony off to work goodbye. Bucky was honestly expecting this talk much earlier, so when Rhodey (as he insisted Bucky call him) asked to meet Bucky for lunch, Bucky prepared himself for a long speech.

Bucky was sweating profusely by the time they reached the small pizza joint, one of the team’s post-battle favourites. The owner waved them to a small corner in the back, tucked farther away from the busy lunch rush that filled the restaurant. After they ordered, Bucky forced himself not to fidget as the waiter walked away with their orders.

Rhodey clasped his hands together. “So, judging by your ‘murder-face’ as Tony likes to call it, I’m thinking you have an idea of why I invited you out for lunch.”

Bucky straightened. He met Rhodey straight in the eyes. “I already had Pepper threaten everything I owned a few days ago with Happy not-so-subtly cracking his knuckles at me behind her..”

Rhodey groaned, rubbing his forehead. “Dammit Pepper. She promised me I’d be the first one…”

Bucky took a sip from his water, sucking on an ice cube. “Well, if it helps, I think she’s more intimidating than Natasha. Don’t tell Nat I said that.” Bucky shuddered.

Rhodey smirked. “Nah, even Nat knows not to mess with Pepper, for good reason.”

Bucky snorted as he eyed the Colonel, crossing his arms in front of him. “No kidding, even with all my time under Hydra’s thumb, I don’t think I really knew what it meant to stare into the eyes of death. I’ve never had a montage of my life flash  before my eyes until then.”

Rhodey nodded solemnly as he bit into a piping hot slice of pizza. “Well, I’m glad that’s over with then. That also makes rule number one much easier.”

Bucky paused, cheese dangling off the side of his chin. “Wait...rules? As in more than one?”

Rhodey unfolded a sheet of paper from his pocket, rotating it as he slid it across the table.

Bucky blinked as he stared at the list in front of him. "8 Simple Rules (For Dating Tony Stark)" was underlined in bold, black sharpie. Bucky gaped as Rhodey stared back at him, completely serious.

“Like I said, that makes the first rule easier.”

Bucky’s eyes darted back down.

_1\. You intentionally make him cry, I make you cry._

Bucky felt a chill run down his spine as he glanced back up at the impassive stare. “That one applies to both Pepper and myself. You do anything intentionally to hurt him, I will use my particular set of skills. I will find you, and I will end you.”

Bucky narrowed his eyes “...did you steal that from Taken?”

Rhodey coughed. “...I’ve always wanted to say that. Never tell Tony. He’ll never let me live it down.”

Bucky nodded. “It is a great line. If I do manage to hurt Tony in some way, I’ll let you throw me off the tower yourself.”

Rhodey stared at Bucky appalled. “I don’t mean I’ll kill you. Just maybe maim you a little bit, nothing with permanent damage.  And besides, Pepper would ruin you in a much grander way.”

Bucky blinked, a vision of Pepper staring him down, cell phone in hand. Bucky shivered.  “...I can see that. And I don’t think the fall could kill me.”

Rhodey stared at him in consideration “I’m not gonna kill you. Geez, what is it with all of you and murder? But I guess I’m glad you get the idea, and I appreciate the sentiment.”

Rhodey leaned forward and tapped the page. “The rest are meant more as a guide to help you along, rather than to suggest potential bodily harm. I’d take a look and memorize it.”

Bucky quickly read through the rest of the list. _Huh._

Rhodey watched in amusement as he watched Bucky’s eyes twitch. “You’re welcome. Just follow that guide and you two should ride off into the sunset with your happy ever after with no problems.”

Bucky folded the paper before stuffing it into his jacket pocket. “What are you, some sort of fairy godmother?”

Rhodey slurped his coke. “If it makes you feel any better, I’m Tony’s fairy godmother. So saddle up prince charming, I’ll do my best to help you.”

Bucky paused. Rhodey was Tony’s oldest friend and confidante.So if he was giving Bucky his approval…

Bucky blinked furiously. He tried to will away the growing moisture in his eyes.The tightness in his chest had dissipated for a warmth that spread throughout his body. “Thanks man, it means a lot.”

Rhodey’s eyes crinkled, his entire face lighting up. Swoon. If Bucky wasn’t already in a ridiculously happy relationship, even he’d be mourning the fact that Rhodey was to quote Tony, ‘tragically straight’.

“Just be happy, man. That’s all we want. And I’m serious about that last one on the list. Let me know.”

Bucky hadn’t really considered it before, but now…

“Yeah, if it gets to that, I will. Thanks.”

Rhodey stood up, wiping the grease off his hands with a giant stack of napkins. “Come on then, Tony’s probably almost done with his meeting and trying to claw his way out by now. Let’s go save him.”


	2. With A Little Help From My Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 2\. Pepper is (almost) always right - if she gives you advice, take it.

_What do I do when my love is away?_

_Does it worry you to be alone?_

_How do I feel by the end of the day?_

_Are you sad because you're on your own?_

_No I get by with a little help from my friends_

_\- The Beatles_

* * *

 

Bucky stood tall at the edge of the ballroom, fidgeting with his tie. Unlike Steve, Bucky wasn’t able to get away with nodding and smiling to everything as the party-goers chattered away. One of the downfalls (or benefits) of having a resting murder-face, is that Bucky got to escape the clutches of high society more often than not at  these parties.

Don’t get him wrong, Bucky could charm the pants off all the ladies and men if he wanted, but it was nice to be able to get a break every once in awhile. Bucky leaned against the wall as he glanced around the room.

Poor Bruce looked like he was being eaten alive by a group of ladies. His face became tighter and tighter as his eyes projected panic. Thankfully, Nat had finally reached him and was expertly extracting him. Even Steve’s eyes were glazed over. He’d been roped into a long winded conversation with some older senators.

Clint had given up entirely, and was cheerfully piling his plate high at the buffet table. He entertained the folks in line by tossing hor d’oeuvres into the air and catching them with his mouth.

But it was always Tony that drew Bucky’s eyes back to the centre of the ballroom. Tony was currently shaking hands in the middle of a large group. Bucky was always in awe with how Tony could not only remember each person’s name but also their family members as well.

“He’s fantastic, isn’t he?”

Pepper slid in next to Bucky, sipping on a glass of champagne. She nodded back to Tony. “While I know he can’t make all of Stark Industries’ charity events, I try to make sure that Tony shows up to the big ones. The donors love to pull out their cheque-books more often after Tony’s talked to them.”

Bucky watched, captivated as Tony fluttered from group to group, seamlessly sliding into every conversation.

A pat on the back.

A crinkle of his lips.

_There, a real smile._

Tony was right at home with fellow scientists, fully engaged in a deep conversation with Jane and some of her friends. Tony was gorgeous as he worked the room, but he was even more dazzling while talking science. The dark suit was form fitting, and the slim gold tie never failed to take Bucky’s breath away every time.

Bucky startled as Pepper handed him another flute of champagne. “Here, at least pretend to talk to me so we can stand in the corner together.”

Bucky grabbed the flute, sheepish. “Sorry, Pepper.”

Pepper smirked, and waved him off. “I’m used to it by now. He does the same, you know. You’re good for him.”

Bucky flushed a pleased pink as he sipped on the champagne. A pleasant warmth settled as he and Pepper stood there in a comfortable silence. Pepper straightened as she muttered a curse under her breath.

“Shit. Hammer’s here, and he’s heading straight towards Tony. Go steal Tony away for a dance and I’ll try to distract Hammer.”

Bucky’s mind screeched to a halt. “What. Wait, I can’t dance…”

Pepper gently steered him towards Tony. “Yes you can. Don’t pretend like I haven’t seen you slide into the kitchen with Tony as you both danced in your underwear. This is even easier than that, and more so than in the 40s. Arms up, elbows in, hold tight and sway. Saddle up soldier, Tony needs you.”

Before Bucky could say another word, Pepper marched purposefully towards Justin Hammer. Bucky sucked in a harsh curse then downed the rest of his drink,. He placed his empty flute onto a table and slipped  through the crowd.

It’s not  that Bucky hated dancing. Back in the day, Bucky loved taking girls out in order to get on the dancefloor. All eyes were on him as he masterfully dipped and twirled the gals around. Bucky had relished in the attention.

But now...now those eyes felt like daggers, and the room grew smaller as Bucky listened to the people’s whispers. It continued to shrink as the whispers focused on his metal arm. He shook his head. He focused on his mission. Helping Tony was more important right now…

Just as he reached Tony’s side, Tony smiled and apologized to the group. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a Sergeant to dance with.”

The group chuckled as Tony gently swept Bucky to his side, making their way to the dance floor. The band had slowed down to a sultry, soft jazz number and Tony stared up at Bucky. “Ready, soldier?”

Bucky nodded, swallowing stiffly as Tony slid his hand into Bucky’s and warmly wrapped his arm around Bucky’s waist. Tony led them expertly as they softly swayed, leaning his head against Bucky’s shoulder.

The murmurs of the crowd around them grew louder as Bucky started to breathe a little quicker. His chest was starting to hurt and his feet were getting heavier and heavier. A sharp, shrill voice stood out as Pepper’s voice cut in and shut it down firmly.

A gentle squeeze of his hand had him looking back down, brown eyes looked up at him

“Relax. Don’t look at them, just keep your eyes on me. Thanks for saving me by the way. I don’t think I could’ve handled talking to Hammer right now.”

Bucky hugged Tony in closer, slipping his arm tighter around Tony’s waist. “I think you’re the one helping me. I haven’t been able to dance in public like this since...well since before.”

Tony pecked him lightly on the cheek. “Well, I guess that means we’ve come to an impasse. We’ll just have to settle for helping each other equally.”

Bucky’s voice dropped lower. “Oh? Because I think I can find something else to _help_ you with, Mr. Stark.”

Tony laughed as they continued to sway. The sounds of the crowd faded away as their one dance turned into two, which turned into five,  continuing on into the rest of the night.


	3. Don't Stop Me Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 3\. Never let Tony get to the fifth cup of coffee. _Ever._

_I'm burning through the sky yeah_

_Two hundred degrees_

_That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit_

_I'm traveling at the speed of light_

_I wanna make a supersonic man out of you_

_\- Queen_

* * *

The workshop was a place of refuge. Not only for Tony, but Bucky as well. When Bucky was first given the tour by Tony, Bucky was absolutely floored by how _wonderful_ everything was. Bucky had always been a fan of technology, but coming into the workshop was like stepping into a dream.

There was always something going on, whether it was the bots rolling around and tugging at Bucky to show him something new, or Tony bouncing around as he juggled his hundreds of work and personal projects. Tony always knew how to fill the silence as he worked on Bucky’s arm, and Bucky looked forward to every single session.

Months later, the final adjustments were made as Tony put on the finishing touches. Bucky kept telling himself that he was happy now that he finally had a painless and fully functioning arm.

He was happy, he really was...

But no matter how many times Bucky told himself that, it didn’t stop the tightness in his chest, or the overwhelming rush of sadness. He stared at the bots longingly as Tony hummed through the final tests. The bots twirled around in excitement as Bucky stared down at his new arm in amazement.

As Bucky stood to leave, he stared down at his feet, trying to get them to move. Tony’s eyes softened as he gently tugged on Bucky’s sleeve. “Hey, so now that we’re done with this project, wanna help me with the next one?”

Bucky’s eyes widened in surprise, relief clear in his face. “.. you’re sure? You wouldn’t mind me hanging around to help-”

“No one ever offers! You’re my favourite, you know? Assistant! I mean. Yes- No. I mean-”

Bucky grabbed Tony’s hand and squeezed. “You’re my favourite too. Come on, let me make ya a cup of coffee.”

Tony beamed back at him, and Bucky swore there was nothing brighter.

* * *

So it was no surprise that when Bucky and Tony were working on a weekend binge in the workshop, the fifth cup of coffee rule had completely slipped Bucky’s mind. They were making some good ground on putting together a new bike for Steve’s birthday, and Tony was super excited about getting it all done before the big event in two weeks.

It wasn’t until Tony had started to blink rapidly that Bucky saw something was off.

Tony’s eyes darted around, muttering calculations under his breath as he swayed to the music. Bucky frowned as he wiped his hands on a rag, motioning up to the camera in the corner of the room.

“JARVIS, can you cut the music for a second, please?”

“Certainly, Mr. Barnes.”

The workshop was filled with a sudden deafening silence as Tony continued to sway to the non-existent beat. Bucky approached carefully, ready to catch the mumbling genius as his head started to nod.

“...babe, you okay?”

Tony snapped to attention as he jumped. “Yessss. Yep. Perfectly fine. Huh, must’ve hit cup number five. Ready the schematics JARVIS, WE’RE GONNA SCIENCEEEEEE.”

Bucky stood bewildered as Tony leaped to life, darting around the workshop, grabbing things for Bucky to hold and move and turn, just like that. DUM-E whirled in excitement as he waved a wrench around.

For the next four hours, Tony was a whirlwind. Bucky had almost gone cross-eyed trying to keep up. Every half hour or so, Tony would stop what he was doing and call out a SNACK BREAK and feed Bucky some blueberries or crackers or sips of a smoothie. By the end of it, Bucky was almost ready to collapse; none of Steve’s or Sam’s workouts held up to how tiring this was.

Bucky blinked as Tony gently pried the screwdriver from Bucky’s grip. “I think it’s time for bed babe, we’ve been down here for almost the whole weekend. Come on, I’ll help you up.”

Bucky was so tired, he could barely keep his eyes open through the shower. He didn’t even make any jokes as Tony gently patted him dry. His head touched the soft pillows on their bed, and Bucky was out like a light.

Bucky groaned as he rolled over, pausing as his arm clutched at the cold sheets beside him. He opened his bleary eyes. He snagged the note off the bedside table that had been propped up against a bag from one of Bucky’s favourite bakeries.

Bucky munched on the bagel as he skimmed the note.

 

_Hey babe,_

_I have a meeting early afternoon, so I left you a bagel for breakfast. Not sure what time I’ll be back, but it shouldn’t be too late. Talk to you later!_

_Tony_

 

Bucky blinked, stunned at the clock that read 1:30pm. While he hated mornings as much as Tony did, and always cursed Steve and Sam for dragging him out on their stupid early runs, Bucky wasn’t really one to sleep in.

Bucky stiffly wobbled over to the communal kitchen, ignoring Clint and Natasha as he made a beeline for the fridge. Clint smirked, waggling his eyebrows. “Looks like somebody had a rough night, or a rough weekend rather.”

Clint held out his hand for a high five, which was quickly swatted away by Natasha. Bucky glanced at her gratefully, but she merely raised an eyebrow.

Bucky slammed his head onto the counter with a groan. Rhodey strolled into the room and scoffed at Bucky as he slid in beside him.

“Nah, Nat’s right. It looks like Bucky forgot to follow the coffee rule.”

Clint stared. “The what?”

Rhodey patted Bucky on the back, slipping an ice pack on his shoulders. Bucky sighed in relief.. “I threw another ice pack in the freezer for you to use later. I’d like to say I told you so, but I feel like the fact that you look like you can’t move speaks volumes..”

Bucky stretched his neck. “I didn’t realize-”

Rhodey snorted. “How the fifth cup gives him a supernatural level of energy? Yeah, that rule was for your own benefit, man, not Tony’s. He knows perfectly well how to help himself down there. Did he activate the ‘snack break’ rule?”

Bucky nodded as he slumped. Note to self, memorize rules and _never forget them._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special shout out to EmuSam who managed to guess this rule! I'm guessing it might've turned out a little bit differently than you expected though haha.


	4. It Had to Be You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 4\. JARVIS will always look out for Tony's best interests. He will also become your best friend.

_Do you feel a certain sense of synergy between yourself and me?_

_A kind of macabre and somber Wondertwin type of harmony_

_What if it was you?_

_You that I needed all along_

_I felt like a fool,_

_Kicking and screaming and pretending we were wrong_

_\- Motion City Soundtrack_

* * *

 

One of the weirder things of living in the future, was having an AI overlooking everything in the tower. Living in Avengers Tower, Bucky was closer than most to the future than ever before.

When Bucky first moved into the tower, it had taken him a few days before he realized that JARVIS was the one overseeing everything. Bucky had been perplexed when doors would open automatically whenever his hands were full, but then other times he would stop and stare until he had to give up on the door opening automatically and pull on the handle.

It wasn’t until Bucky had started to frequent the workshop more and more that he’d started to piece together what was happening.

(Within the first hour that Bucky arrived at the tower, he jumped five times at every noise and peripheral movement. And when Clint dropped out of a vent for the first time, he had to drop to the ground to avoid the knife Bucky threw his way. Tony decided then that it was probably best for JARVIS to minimize spooking Bucky. When JARVIS mentioned this to Bucky later on, he was super relieved.

It did soothe Bucky’s pride a little when Tony told him that it took Steve much longer to notice; Steve screamed and almost burned himself when the coffee maker had started mocking him about how much sugar he used.)

So when Tony formally introduced Bucky to JARVIS, Bucky was mostly relieved that he hadn’t been hallucinating that someone had been watching him at all times. Someone who could make sure that Bucky wouldn’t bump into someone by surprise and instinctively hold his knife to their throat.

Someone Bucky couldn’t accidentally strangle in his sleep.

Someone who Bucky wouldn’t wake up in the middle of the night with his screaming for the nightmares to go away.

After his first panic attack, JARVIS informed Bucky ‘not to worry’ and that ‘help was on the way’. Before Bucky could ask more, Tony casually strolled into the living room, making sure to stomp loudly down the hallway before he flopped onto the couch, an arm's distance away from Bucky. The tv flickered on as Tony’s commentary started, grumbling about the late night television ads, and how they scammed people too tired to fight back.

Bucky sat in a tense silence, fingers digging into his lap as he stared at the colourful images flashing by. Slowly but surely, the tension in his shoulders eased, the rambling beside him a soothing lullaby as Bucky melted into the couch.

Bucky jolted awake as the sunlight peeked past the blinds. A blanket was thrown over him as Tony snored lightly beside him, arms tightly hugging his chest. Bucky gently wrapped the smaller man with the blanket before heading to the kitchen to make some coffee.

Night after night, nightmare after nightmare. Tony appeared. Most times with a blanket, but always ready with soothing chatter that kept the shadows at bay. Sometimes, he’d even haul in a brand new purchase. Whether it was the ‘perfect’ blender, the sharpest steak knife in the world, or even the best non-stick pan, Tony and Bucky tried them all.

(JARVIS had to order a full crate of fresh tomatoes so that Tony and Bucky could test out their assortment of new knives. Steve stared in confusion at the entire shelf of freshly canned tomatoes that appeared overnight in the pantry.)

In return, Tony always blinked awake blearily the next morning to a warm cup of coffee and breakfast.

The most tantalizing part was waking up first thing to see Tony sleeping soundly beside him. Always completely relaxed and trusting as he reached towards Bucky. Tony’s expression was always the softest then, the stress of the night before eased away, and always ready with a warm smile, for him.

_For Bucky._

It was three months after their routine had started, that Bucky had a revelation.

Tony had managed to worm his way into Bucky’s lap as he slept, head burrowing tightly into Bucky’s chest as the blanket was thrown over the both of them. Bucky gently brushed the soft tufts of hair out of Tony’s face, smiling as Tony tightened his hold.

Carefully extracting himself, Bucky made his way to the kitchen, turning on the coffee maker. He paused, whispering to the camera in the corner.

“JARVIS?”

“Yes, Sergeant Barnes?”

“I just- I never said thank you before.”

“For what, sir?”

“Thank you for sending Tony to me. I know that Tony asked you to let him know when I was having a nightmare-”

“Your well-being and happiness is directly correlated to sir’s, so it is no trouble.”

Bucky blinked, mind still sluggish and not entirely awake. “Wait, you’re saying-”

“Sir’s happiness will always be my primary objective, and with all of my data, sir is able to sleep only with companionship after experiencing nightmares. Accompanying yourself has an almost 100% success rate of getting sir to fall asleep as well as further developing your romantic relationship.”

Bucky’s brain shorted right there. “Our what-”

“Your romantic relationship, Sergeant Barnes. According to my data, 100% of the time either of you enter the room the other will smile fully, and heart rate will increase. Both of you spend all of your free time together when not with others, and will do activities such as watching television or eating meals. To my understanding, those are considered ‘dates,’ according to the vast database of romantic comedies.”

“...romantic comedies?”

“Yes. According to both Miss Lewis and Mr. Barton, romantic comedies are the best ways to analyze various ways for people to fall in love. There are many different tropes, but many couples fall into the ‘enemies to lovers’, and the ‘everyone else knows they’re in love except for them’ which usually leads to the couple realizing it towards the end of the film, which is usually the mark of their actual relationship. Variations of these all fulfill your relationship with sir.”

Bucky’s mind grinded to a halt. He was dating Tony.

_He was dating Tony._

“What’s all this commotion about?”

Tony rubbed his eyes as he tripped into the kitchen. Bucky immediately reached out to steady him, unconsciously smiling as Tony looked up at him in thanks. Bucky steered Tony to the breakfast table.

“Nothing..I just realized I haven’t thanked JARVIS for all he’s done for me yet.”

_For the both of us._

Bucky looked up. “Thanks JARVIS...for everything.”

Bucky swore that he could hear the approval in his voice as JARVIS replied. “You’re very welcome, sir.”

Tony looked like he was about to ask, but shook his head, staring curiously at Bucky. Bucky only smiled as he pushed the cup of coffee forward.


	5. Sweater Weather

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 5\. Ask JARVIS to order you multiple pairs of your favourite sweaters. Tony will eventually steal them all, and you’ll never wear them again

_ Cause it's too cold whoa _

_ For you here _

_ And now _

_ So let me hold whoa _

_ Both your hands in the holes of my sweater   
_

_ \- The Neighbourhood  _

* * *

Bucky absolutely loved when Tony suggested that Bucky move in with him into the penthouse. He was already waking up every morning with an adorable, snuggly genius every morning anyways, so the only difference was that Bucky didn’t have to trudge down a few floors later on to change.

Most of his stuff was already hanging around either the penthouse, or Tony’s workshop anyways, so it honestly took only half an hour to move everything into  _ their  _ closet. 

It was at that moment that Bucky realized that there was something strange.

All of his sweaters were missing.

Bucky combed through drawer after drawer, and even scanned through his walk-in closet. After taking apart their entire wardrobe, Bucky still couldn’t find a single one of his sweaters. 

Not his tourist NYC sweater that Clint had cheekily bought him, not his green army sweater, not the ugly grey hoodie he threw on before a run or even the matching couple one with kittens on it that Tony had bought as a joke. 

Nothing.

A memory of a well worn piece of paper came to mind, and Bucky quickly pulled it out of the dresser and skimmed it. 

_ There _ .

Rule number four read: Ask JARVIS to order you multiple pairs of your favourite sweaters. Tony will eventually steal them all, and you’ll never get to wear them again.

Bucky blinked as he stared down at the rules then back into his closet. He rummaged through Tony’s,no  _ their _ giant walk-through closet, skipping past the rows of suits and into the casual section. However, the longer that Bucky searched, the more confused he became.

None of his sweaters were here. 

Bucky wandered into the hallway, bewildered. Staring up into the camera, Bucky cleared his throat.

“JARVIS? Do you know where all of my sweaters disappeared to?”

“I do Mr. Barnes, but I am unable to tell you exactly where they disappeared to. Thanks to protocol ‘Sweater swiper’, I am unable to tell you the exact location of said sweaters.”

Barnes stared blankly into distance, brow furrowed in concentration. “Hmm. Okay, thanks. Could you order me two extra sets instead, please? And tell me where Rhodey is at the moment?”

“Certainly Mr. Barnes, and Mr. Rhodes is currently in the gym with Mr. Rogers.”

Bucky sighed. “That punk is never gonna let me hear the end of it.”

* * *

The gym was louder than normal, as Rhodey and Steve circled each other  in the center ring. Clint was cheering Steve on, while Natasha was standing firmly in Rhodey’s corner, as Happy stood in the center, whistle in his mouth. Thor grinned as he howled and cheered for both sides.

Bucky slid up next to Natasha. “So, who’s winning?”

Natasha smirked as Steve ducked another sharp hook. “It’s evenly matched. Steve may have the serum, but Rhodey has years more experience in the field.”

Both were locked in a tight clinch as they looked for openings, eyeing each other carefully. 

Natasha glanced over at him before turning back to the ring. “What’s wrong?”

Bucky crossed his arms. “What makes you say that something is wrong?”

Nat gave him a withering look, “You have that furrowed brow on your face that Tony likes to call your ‘adorable thinker face’. So, what’s wrong?”

Bucky glared at her as he mumbled under his breath while Rhodey and Steve tumbled to the ground. “...I can’t find my sweaters.”

Natasha stopped to face him completely. “...what?”

“...I can’t find any of my sweaters. None of them. All of them are gone. They are not in the closet, the drawers, nowhere.”

Natasha eyed him carefully, and Bucky fidgeted under her long stare. “You seriously haven’t noticed until now?”

“..no…”

Natasha sighed. “We’re going out for lunch tomorrow. Noon. Downstairs. Business casual. Don’t be late.”

Bucky could only nod as Natasha’s attention was drawn once again by the match in front of them. Clint whooped as Rhodey and Steve simultaneously collapsed on the ground.

Happy blew the whistle.

Clint slid in. “Oohh, me next! Me next, Cap!”

Natasha entered the ring with a smile, and Clint paled. Clint quickly put his hands up to protect his face.

Happy smirked. “She’s got a mean hook. Ready?”

Clint sighed as he ducked under the flurry of punches.

* * *

Bucky fiddled with his shirt, waiting for Natasha. Didn’t matter if it was rain or shine, Nat somehow always showed up right on time. It was honestly terrifying how well she timed it, and Bucky could never quite figure out how she did it.

So when the clock hit 12:00pm, Natasha strolled through the door.

She adjusted her purse before nodding towards the door. “Ready?”

Bucky nodded as he followed her out into the warm, summer air. New York was always blistering in the summer, and today was no exception. “It’s only a few blocks away. Come on.”

Bucky followed Natasha as they weaved through the lunch crowd.They rushed along the sidewalk to bypass the long, inevitable lines. Bucky was unsurprised when they ducked into the packed  _ Lena’s Pastrami _ .

“Oh of course, Ms. Natasha. Four Lena’s specials coming right up! Say hello to Tony for us!”

No one had ever gotten the exact story out of Tony about how this came to be. Lena the owner herself was tight lipped about it, and always avoided their questions. Bucky suspects that Tony had helped them out after the Chitauri invasion, but even that was just a theory. Not even he could get Tony to tell him the full story.

Bucky grimaced as they drizzled Tony’s sandwich in their specialty hot sauce. No one else on the team could eat it, and all of them stared in horror as they watched Tony devour it the first time.

Natasha nudged Bucky as he startled again, shaking his head as he realized they were back at the tower. “I thought we were going for lunch?”

Natasha stared at him, a brown paper bag tucked under her arm. “We are.”

The elevator dinged as Bucky wandered into the main offices of Stark Industries. Natasha sauntered up to the secretary. “We have a business meeting with Mr. Stark at 12:30.”

The secretary smiled as Natasha fished out a sandwich and slid it onto the desk. “Thanks, Ms. Romanoff. Mr. Stark is free right now and finished his earlier meeting at 10:00. You can both go right in.”

Bucky stared as he saw Natasha’s lips twitch upwards into an actual smile. Natasha started walking, and Bucky scrambled to keep up as Natasha gently pushed the doors open. Bucky stopped right in the middle of the doorway as he gawked.

Tony snored gently into his arms, his face pillowed by Bucky’s favourite green army jacket. Bucky melted as he softly padded towards his sleeping boyfriend. Bucky brushed back some stray hairs that had flopped over Tony’s face.

Tony had been working overtime lately, what with the new Stark phone being launched soon, so Bucky had hardly seen his boyfriend over the past few weeks. Bucky had reached over many times in the early morning and late evenings and found only an apologetic note in Tony’s stead.

_ So this is where he’s been sleeping. _

Natasha coughed and Bucky turned back to the other side of the desk. Sandwich bag set down on the side table, Natasha pointedly stared at Bucky straight in the eyes as she knocked over the small bird statue on Tony’s desk.

Bucky hissed as he turned back to a thankfully still snoozing Tony, then turned his glare back on Natasha. She simply stood back and pointed. Bucky stood in stunned amazement.

The small bookshelf by the wall clicked and swivelled open. The back of the bookshelf held a small keypad, and Natasha entered a short series of numbers before hearing another click.

The fake wood panel slid open and a small grid of shelves decorated the small interior.

Rows and rows of folded sweaters of all shapes and sizes lined each shelf, and Bucky could only gape as he reached out and sifted through the piles.

His black, oversized hoodie, his obnoxious red, white and blue hoodie that Steve bought him, the Winter Soldier sweater that the Avengers public relations team sent over, and even the soft fleece one that Thor had gifted him from Asgard. All of them were there, carefully folded and stuffed behind the bookshelf.

“I’ll give you both a moment. I’ll meet you downstairs for the team dinner later on.”

Bucky’s head swiveled as Natasha grabbed her sandwich before closing the door gently behind her. Tony startled awake as he flailed wildly.

“What. Who- oh. I swear, I can explain-”

Tony stared at the open bookshelf, and Bucky could see the sheer look of terror cross Tony’s face. Bucky dropped the sweater he was holding and surged forward, grasping Tony’s face in both hands carefully.

Bucky gently kissed Tony, slowly, deeply and lingering, and Tony gripped Bucky’s hair. Bucky let go as Tony gasped for air. Bucky pecked Tony on the lips gently twice before hugging him tight. 

“No matter how much you’re panicking right now, just know that I’m not going anywhere, okay? You wanna explain to me why you’re hoarding my sweaters like a dragon?”

Tony burrowed even deeper into Bucky’s chest. “I cejke thklfeafe”

Bucky carefully pried Tony’s chin away from his chest. “I can’t hear you, doll.”

Tony stared over Bucky’s shoulder, ears glowing a bright red. And all at once, it was like the bursting of a dam and Bucky had to strain to hear the rushed words.  

“I- I can’t sleep alone. Before we started dating, I could only get maybe 2 or 3 hours of sleep at a time. Your sweaters...smell like you. When you’re gone on a mission or I leave on a business trip, I take one of your sweaters with me so I can sleep…”

Bucky’s eyes softened as his chest filled with so much love and affection, it felt like it could burst. “Oh, babe…”

Tony shakily nodded as he nuzzled closer into Bucky’s chest. “I know, it’s weird.”

Bucky stroked Tony’s hair. “It’s my kind of weird.  _ You’re _ my kind of weird. Our lives are all kinds of weird. Believe me, nothing will make me run for the hills. I’ll tell JARVIS to buy five more pairs of all of them”

“...really?”

“Really, really.” Bucky nuzzled Tony’s forehead. “I miss you too, when you’re gone. And besides, I love that I can help you fall asleep, even if we’re countries apart.”

Tony leaned up and captured Bucky’s lips into a sweet kiss that quickly turned deeper and deeper…

A loud growl filled the room as Tony turned a bright red, glaring down at his stomach in betrayal.

Bucky leaned back and grinned. “Come on, doll. We grabbed some sandwiches on our way up.”

Tony blinked rapidly before nodding. “Nat. Remind me to move her new widow bites up the list.”

Bucky nodded, fondly watching Tony gleefully unwrap his sandwich.


	6. This Too Shall Pass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 6\. When the Science Bros are working, check in every 3 hours to make sure they haven't blown anything up.

_ You can't stop these kids from dancin'. _

_ Why would you want to? _

_ Especially when you’re already gettin' yours. _

_ 'Cause if your mind don't move and your knees don't bend, _

_ well don't go blamin' the kids again.   
_

_ \- Ok Go  _

* * *

 

Bucky followed the sizzling sounds of the pan as he ducked into the kitchen, grabbing a silver breakfast tray as Steve waved from the stove. 

One thing that Steve had absolutely loved about the future was the amazing food options. Not just the quantity, but the access to luxury foods like butter and international ingredients and cuisines. Steve loved to experiment in the kitchen and the team were usually rewarded for his efforts. 

Bucky honed in on the giant stack of warm pancakes. 

“Looks good, don’t mind if I do…”

Bucky winced as Steve slapped his fingers with the spatula.

“No, those are Tony and Bruce’s. They need to tell me if this recipe is better, or if they preferred last week’s instead.”

Bucky raised his eyebrows. “And where are my pancakes in the name of this poll?”

Steve expertly flipped a pancake with a flourish. He cheered as he got it in the pan. “YES! I mean, yes, I totally do that every time, ahem.”

Even as Bucky stared at the small group of pancakes stuck to the ceiling, Steve stared straight ahead, unflinchingly. Bucky snorted, pouring out two glasses of orange juice. “You know, sooner or later Pepper’s going to find out that it’s your fault that she had pancakes falling on her head the other day.”

Steve winced as he grabbed a handful of blueberries. He sprinkled them on one stack of pancakes and placed bananas on the other one, with a sprig of mint on top of each one. “I- didn’t have time to clean those the last time, we had an emergency alarm...I’ll just get Clint to help me shoot these off later.”

Humming, Steve drizzled a healthy amount of maple syrup before setting them onto Bucky’s tray with a flourish. 

Steve pointed the spatula at Bucky. “Make sure they don’t eat too fast. And ask them what they think of this new recipe; Nat likes these better, but Clint prefers the old ones.”

Steve reached for the giant bowl of batter. “Yours should be done by the time you come back up.”

Bucky nodded as he carefully balanced the tray. He then nodded in thanks to the camera when JARVIS silently started the elevator down towards the workshop.

Classical music was one of the few genres of music that Tony and Bruce could agree on while working on a workshop binge, so it was a clear indication to the rest of the Avengers that the ‘Science Bros’ were working hard. 

The reverberating notes of Vivaldi greeted him as Bucky skidded to a stop in the entrance of the workshop.

“What- what in the world-”

Tony and Bruce were sporting matching over-sized safety glasses as they carefully placed the last domino on the table. The entire workshop was filled with what Bucky could only describe as a life-sized mousetrap game. 

A hot-wheels track was set up, with a long series of stacked books and marbles in one corner. A giant lego city featured in the middle of the shop with Butterfingers and U dressed up in dinosaur costumes. DUM-E whirred over to him and beeped at Bucky in excitement.

“Hey, DUM-E. Where’s your costume?”

DUM-E beeped sadly as he lowered his head.

“He knows what he did. He didn’t listen and ripped both costumes I tried to put on him, so there’s none left..”

Tony glanced up at Bucky, who was holding the giant stack of pancakes, with widened eyes and a smile. “Just a sec, babe. Don’t touch anything. I’ll be there in a moment!”

Bucky carefully pushed aside a giant stack of papers as he carefully set down the tray on the side table. He picked up the small fire extinguisher and handed it over to DUM-E. “Here. You can be on fire duty. Just make sure you be careful, okay?”

DUM-E beeped in excitement as he twirled in a circle before wheeling back towards Butterfingers and U. 

Bucky blinked as Tony carefully hobbled around the dominos as he beamed at the breakfast spread. “Nice, Steve made us pancakes!! Thanks, babe!”

Tony pushed the glasses onto his forehead, leaning in to peck Bucky on the cheek. Tony’s hair was sticking up in every direction and Bucky could tell that Tony would likely be needing a nap soon.

“What is this? It looks...pretty amazing actually.”

“It’s our very own Rube Goldberg machine! You’re just in time for the finishing touches! But first-”

Tony reached into the drawer and pulled out a pair of safety goggles. He held them to Bucky. Bucky warily stared at the goggles. “How dangerous is this thing? You’ve  _ never _ offered me these before.”

Tony grinned impishly. “Weren’t you the one always telling me to ‘be more careful’ in the workshop?” Tony waved the goggles. “Come on, you can’t back out on your own advice now.” 

Bucky sighed as he slipped on the oversized goggles. “Why am I the only one with the oversized goggles then?”

Tony coughed as he tugged on some stray hairs caught under the strap. “Because you’re the sexiest, babe. Only you’ve got the long hair to pull it off.”

“I look ridiculous”

“Ridiculously sexy.”

Bucky snorted before tugging Tony in close for a hug. “That's the best you got Stark? What happened to that silver tongue you’re supposed to be famous for?”

Tony narrowed his eyes. “Okay, fine. I look like a fish, and Bruce looks like an oversized bug, so you’re saving our aesthetic here. I wasn’t lying when I said you looked the best.”

Bucky barely restrained the bubble of laughter, and coughed to avoid the glare that Tony sent his way. “Okay. I suppose I can be your sexy science mascot. Now what, how does this thing work?”

Tony gently led Bucky back to Bruce, carefully stepping over the dominos once again. “Ready Bruce?”

Bruce nodded, narrowing his eyes as he slowly stood up. He carefully backed away from the dominos. “That was the last of them. We should be good to go.”

Tony pulled Bucky over to the desk in the corner, then handed over the tripod and high-speed camera. “Could you set this up on the taped ‘x’ on the floor?”

Bucky nodded as he set up the camera. Tony typed away on the laptop in front of him as he chatted away to Bruce. Bucky wandered back to Tony and Bruce, who were re-adjusting their safety glasses as Bucky reached them. Tony gave a thumbs up to the camera on the ceiling.

“Ready, JARVIS?”

“Ready, sir.”

“Ready, DUM-E? Butterfingers? U?”

All the bots beeped in response as they waved back. 

Tony breathed. “Okay. Science bros, Project Goldilocks, test one. Commencing, now!”

Bucky snickered as Tony placed a mini Captain America figurine riding next to a mini Falcon as they rode a small batmobile onto the small platform. Tony carefully tipped the car as it moved down the track, starting the chain of large book dominoes down the line. 

Bucky watched in wonder as the marbles rolled in perfect unison, bouncing on the speaker, and rolling down the track.Small tin cans swirled as they carried the remaining marble around as it travelled through the small lego city.

It picked up speed as the marbles travelled intricately around the room, setting off contraption after contraption, finally tipping over a basketball to tip over and set off the blowtorch. A set of small purple pants were tipped into the fire, and Tony and Bruce cheered. 

While the pants were submerged in the flame, they didn’t catch on fire, even as they were stretched out further, and the flames grew larger. A sudden scream and loud clang from the vents had JARVIS cutting the music. 

“FUCK, MY EYEBROWS!”

Before Bucky could say a word, DUM-E aimed and fired the fire extinguisher towards the vent. White foam filled the room as Clint yelped.

Tony rushed towards the vent, cupping his hands to yell up. “CLINT. ARE YOU OKAY??”

A short silence filled the room before Bucky doubled over in laughter as a scowling Clint popped his head out from the vent. The sides of his eyebrows were singed, but other than the glare he sent Bucky, he seemed to be fine.

“I wanna be angry, but dammit, that was awesome.”

Clint ducked back into the ven,t and they heard the telltale signs of him crawling away before Bruce, Tony and Bucky doubled over in laughter again. 

Tony peeled the glasses off his face, wiping his eyes. “And  _ that, _ kids, is why we wear safety glasses. So, food then round two?”

Bucky shook his head fondly as Bruce and Tony devoured their pancakes, plotting an amendment to the rule.

_ Remember to check on Tony and Bruce every three hours to make sure that they haven’t blown anything up,  _ **_Clint in particular._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rube Goldberg machines are amazing, and if you haven't seen one yet, make sure to watch some videos of them! The Ok Go version inspired this chapter, but there are a lot of fantastic ones online.


	7. Rose Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 7\. No matter how much Tony will try to convince you, no sex in the lab. Period. Anything you try will be hazardous to your health.

_I'm the kind of fire that'll cool your appetite_

_You're the kind of crazy keeps me sane_

_What's a little pleasure without pain?_

_\- CLARA_

* * *

For all of Tony’s surprising and meticulous requirements to follow lab rules and regulations, Tony had no qualms about trying to get Bucky’s clothes off whenever he could.

Kissing Tony was like breathing; necessary and something that Bucky could no longer live without. Whether short and sweet or deep and body curling, kissing Tony was always dizzying and made it hard for Bucky to think straight.

So actively trying to resist his affectionate boyfriend while he was nuzzling Bucky’s neck and rubbing up against him was near to impossible.

“Tony, what- _umph_ \- what about lab...lab safety...Rhodey’s rule-”

Bucky actually remembered this rule because Rhodey underlined it multiple times.

 _From what I know, I don’t think he’s tried anything down there yet. That won’t stop him from wanting to climb you like a tree, no matter where you are . Do what you want elsewhere, but trust me when I say_ **_not in the lab._ **

Bucky groaned as Tony did _that thing with his tongue-_ fuck. Coffee and hints of caramel hit his tongue and Bucky’s eyes slid shut. The heat between them was the perfect temperature, and Bucky’s pulse thundered wildly in his chest as Tony pulled back.

Doe eyes stared up at him, but Bucky still caught the twitch of Tony’s lips. “Just a _little_?”

Bucky growled, trapping Tony’s wrists in a loose hold. “What exactly does _a little_ mean to you? Don’t you remember what happened the last time we tried for a _little_ -”

Vivid memories of men in hazard suits crashing into the lab quickly turned fuzzy as Tony rubbed up against him- Bucky giving in as Tony wrapped his legs high around Bucky’s waist.

Tony met Bucky’s lips with a satisfied smirk, tightening his legs and slipping his arms higher around Bucky’s neck. Eager hands roamed everywhere, and in a flash, they were half-dressed. Tony wriggled, hot and heavy and _hard,_ and Bucky felt his belt deftly pried from his waist. In the distance, something crashed and clattered to the floor, but the sound was drowned out by Tony’s moans, which were hitched and filled with promise.

SCREEEEEEEECHHHHHH

Bucky spun around. Bucky dropped Tony and covered his boyfriend, turning to face the danger. Tony’s yelp of indignation at being dropped quickly turned to horror.

“NO DUM-E, WATCH OUT!”

DUM-E swung his claw happily, knocking various tools and vials on the ground. Flames shot up in the background as the blowtorch ignited the spill on the ground. Bucky grabbed his boyfriend, tackling him to the ground behind the counter as the flames flashed.

The sprinklers turned on, water quickly filling the air as the alarm blared. Frantic beeping and loud blasting covered the workshop in white foam. Butterfingers whirled around past the counter, twirling at Tony as he beeped. Tony looked up.

“JARVIS? What’s the damage?”

“Thankfully, the chemical compound burned itself out. Other than setting off the sprinklers, and burning some of the counter, there is limited damage.”

Tony slumped. “...yeah, okay, that was my bad. If I promise to never seduce you in the lab again, you think Rhodey won’t yell at us?”

Bucky winced as Tony’s phone lit up, _honeybear_ flashing ominously on the screen. “Too late for that now.”

Tony sighed, before straightening with a glint. Tony tapped at his phone before placing it on the counter above them. Tony swung his legs over Bucky, straddling his lap.

Bucky could only stare as Tony wrapped Bucky’s arms tightly around himself. “...seriously, after all of that?”

“If I’m going to get yelled at for the damage we caused, I might as well make it worth it.”

Tony claimed Bucky’s lips, slipping his hand under Bucky’s shirt. Bucky whined as his resolve slipped away. Tony smiled against Bucky’s lips in triumph.

(Rhodey yelled at the both of them for a solid hour, but Bucky couldn’t bring himself to feel guilty because Tony was right.

It was totally worth it.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a shorter chapter, but the last one will be much longer, and you'll get some lovely art to accompany it! We've got one chapter left, and it's probably one of the fluffiest of the bunch.
> 
> Happy thanksgiving to all my fellow Canadian friends out there!


	8. I Choose You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 8\. If you ever plan on proposing, I can help you with that. *Never ever elope. Natasha will kill you, then bring you back to life, just so Pepper can proceed to kill you.*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As part of the Winterironbang, I've been working with some lovely artists, so now this piece has some lovely art to go with it! 
> 
> [theMidgey](http://themidgey.tumblr.com/) has some fantastic cover art with Tony, Bucky and Rhodey [here](http://themidgey.tumblr.com/post/166198902883/heres-the-art-i-did-for-summerpipedreams)  
> [AislingSiobhan](http://archiveofourown.org/users/AislingSiobhan) made a lovely song list to go with the story [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12313887)!!  
> Make sure to check them both out and give them some love!

_If they told me that you could not come true_  
_Just love’s illusion_  
_But then you found me_  
_And everything’s changed_  
_And I believe in something again_

_\- Sara Bareilles_

* * *

It was a boring, rainy day when it happened.

For once, there were no missions to be had. No villains terrorizing the streets and no training simulations to be run. Pepper had cleared Tony’s schedule, and Tony and Bucky had a rare but coveted day off.

So of course, Bucky and Tony took the opportunity to do what they’ve wanted to do for a long time... _absolutely nothing._

No alarms waking them, Tony and Bucky slept in for the first time in months. Once he finally opened his eyes, Bucky leisurely slid under the sheets to slowly take Tony apart. Bucky loved Tony like this, unhurried, relaxed and completely trusting.

No matter how much Tony tugged and urged Bucky to ‘hurry the fuck up and fuck me’, Bucky only smiled into Tony’s skin, coaxing his favourite sighs and shudders. Bucky knew that no matter how much Tony would whine and complain, Tony trusted him to get them both there in the end...and get there they did.

Hours later, they lounged on clean sheets. Tony and Bucky lounged in bed with hot cups of coffee, tablets in hand. Tony snuggled warmly into his favourite oversized sweater (one of Bucky’s) and a grey pair of sweats, casually tapping at his tablet.

Sitting up, Bucky stretched as he rotated his arm. He softly smiled when Tony wrapped himself tighter beneath the covers and pushed his cold toes into Bucky’s side.

Bucky huffed, but reached over to their nightstand. He wrestled the ugliest, fluffy socks he’s ever seen (a gift from Clint) onto Tony’s feet. Tony hummed and murmured a thanks before turning over on his stomach, absorbed by his book.

It was at that moment that Bucky was struck with the realization.

_I want this everyday...this is it._

“...Bucky? You alright?”

Bucky shook his head, brushing the stray hairs away from Tony’s forehead. “Fine, great. Just lost in thought. I’m glad we got this day to do nothing.”

Tony nodded. He snuggled closer. “Me too. We should do this more often. Why don’t we do this more often again?”

Bucky snorted, tugging the blanket burrito close to his chest. “Because unlike most people, we don’t get weekends off.”

Bucky inhaled as he felt a sharp poke to his chest, Tony’s voice muffled by the blanket. “Think we can change that? We should just get Steve to give one of his motivational speeches at the next press conference about the importance of taking time off. That should get us some time.”

Bucky smirked. “I’ll get Nat to switch the prompter this time. Clint’s last attempts were terrible and awful.”

Tony coughed. “Yeah, I don’t think I’ve seen Steve turn that red in ages. It made that hour long rant afterwards totally worth it.”

Bucky snickered. “Wanna watch it again? I asked JARVIS to record the whole thing.”

Arms flailed as Tony emerged from his cocoon with a grin. “This is  why I love you. Play it now, J. Let’s watch it!”

Bucky hummed as the press conference played on the screen. The list that Rhodey gave him months ago was still in his dresser.

_It was time to call in reinforcements._

* * *

A high pitched squeal filled the air. Both Bucky and Rhodey winced as Pepper whipped out her cell phone, typing quickly as she flailed.

“Oh, I can’t believe this is happening, _this is really happening-_ ”

Rhodey snorted. “It almost sounds like you’re the one being proposed to-”

Pepper glared, wielding her fork as a pointer. “Don’t you dare ruin this for me. I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time.”

Bucky cleared his throat, sipping on his water. “That’s the reason why I called you both out today. I know that I don’t have much to offer, but Tony- it’s _Tony_ , and he deserves the best-”

Bucky swallowed, startled when a hand squeezed his. Pepper patted his hand in encouragement while Rhodey nodded, a pleased smile on his face.

Rhodey leaned forward. “Alright, tell us what you’ve got, and we’ll help you from there-”

Bucky and Rhodey jumped as Natasha slid into the empty chair beside them. “I’ve informed JARVIS, so we’ve got his help as well.”

Rhodey blinked before turning to Pepper. “How-”

Pepper waved her hand. “Natasha would’ve found out one way or another, this way we get another set of hands. She was meeting me later for shopping anyways.”

Bucky nodded slowly. “I wanted to test how long it would take before you found out. You didn’t disappoint.” He paused before narrowing his eyes. “...weren’t you supposed to be doing yoga with Tony this morning?”

Nat snorted. “I’m taking a long bathroom break. We better make this fast, I’ve got ten minutes before I have to get back before he starts to notice.”

Pepper clicked her pen, a clipboard seemingly appeared out of nowhere. “Let’s get started.”

* * *

Bucky sighed as he swept the shards of glass away. The candles wicks had long burned out, the flowers wilted, and the food long cold.

He had booked their favourite restaurant, a private backroom with Pepper and Natasha’s help. The flowers were delivered, the ring secured in Bucky’s jacket pocket. Tony dressed to the nines as they were ready to leave the tower for a perfect night out.

The alarms had sounded, and Bucky cursed as Tony apologetically undid his tie, sliding into his armour. Natasha rushed past him on her way to the quinjet, squeezing his shoulder in sympathy.

_There will be another day, another night._

The second attempt had Bucky seeking the help of the entire team. Bucky booked an entire movie theatre to play Tony’s favourite movie. The plan was that members of the team would individually ‘slip out’, leaving Tony and Bucky alone for the proposal at the end of the movie.

Midway through the movie, the paparazzi had somehow found out that the Avengers were having a team outing, and were storming the lobby of the theater. Tony apologized to the staff, and tugged Bucky behind him as they left out the back exit. Steve caught up to Bucky afterwards and patted his shoulder.

_Sorry, Buck..it looks like you’ll have to try again._

* * *

Collapsing onto the bed, Bucky groaned as he tossed his jacket over his face. Bucky had to toss the melted ‘happy anniversary’ cheesecake into the garbage. His third proposal attempt had not gone any smoother with killer robots interrupting Bucky’s homemade dinner.

The alarm had gone off before Bucky even finished cooking, and Bucky wanted to cry when he returned to pasta burnt to a crisp and a melted cheesecake.

Gently wrapping Tony’s ribs, Bucky maneuvered them over to the couch. The team’s pizza was hot and stuffed with cheese, but Bucky glared mulishly at the news report.

The next time Bucky saw Dr. Doom, he was going to drop kick him off the side of a building.

A short gasp filled the air as Bucky felt the bed sink. Bucky slid the jacket off of his face only to see Tony staring at the open velvet box, the simple but beautiful ring glinted in the light.

With Pepper and Natasha’s help, Bucky was able to track down his mother’s old claddagh ring. It was the one family heirloom that Bucky’s family had held onto during the war, and Bucky still remembers when his mother placed it into his hands.

_Give it to your chosen one, James. Let it bring you all the happiness and love you deserve._

Tony trembled as he gently pulled the ring out of the box. “Is this- is this what I think it is?”

Bucky nodded, palms sweaty as he shook. He grabbed onto Tony’s hands. “I had it all planned out. Multiple times, actually. You have no idea how mad Pepper and Natasha were that their plans were ruined, _oh god they’re going to kill me for this proposal._ ”

Tony cut him off with a kiss, gentle but firm as he clasped Bucky’s face between his hands.

“Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you. This is perfect, and if Pep and Nat are still not happy with it, we can totally fake a proposal so they don’t kill us.”

Bucky’s eyes slid close as he dropped his head onto Tony’s shoulder. “Honestly, that might be easier.”

Tony waggled his eyebrows. “So, are you gonna put that ring on my finger honey?”

Bucky huffed as he slid onto one knee. “Let me at least do this properly, _please._ ”

Tony chuckled but waved his hand for Bucky to continue.

Bucky tightened his grasp around Tony’s hand.  “Nat managed to track down my old mother’s ring, and I got Steve and Rhodey to help me re-design it. My ma had always told me to give it to my chosen one. The one that made me the happiest in the world...and you’re it for me, Tony.”

Bucky let out a shaky breath. “After everything that’s happened, with the war, with Hydra, it’s been hard for me to get my head back on straight. Nothing really made much sense, until you. I love you, Tony Stark, and I know that I’m better doing this with you next to me. So will you do me the honour of marrying me, of choosing me-”

“Yes, yes, yes. I choose you, Bucky. I will _always_ choose you.”

Bucky grinned as he looked up. Tony wriggled his left fingers invitingly, and Bucky carefully slid the ring onto Tony’s finger.

A perfect fit.

Tony preened as he held out his hand to the light. “It’s _beautiful,_ Bucky. Thank you.”

Tony brushed his lips against Bucky’s insistently, and Bucky sighed.

_He was home._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Throws confetti*
> 
> That's the end lovelies! A million thanks once again to both my lovely artists, theMidgey and AislingSiobhan - remember to check out their accompanying art for this story! And a final thanks again to the fantastic Akira-of-the-Twilight who was an amazing beta for this piece! 
> 
> I hope you all had a fun time reading through this, let me know what you think! Feel free to talk to me at anytime on tumblr!

**Author's Note:**

> Any guesses on Rhodey's other rules? Let me know what you think! 
> 
> Come talk to me on [tumblr](http://summerpipedream.tumblr.com)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [8 Simple Rules](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12313887) by [AislingSiobhan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AislingSiobhan/pseuds/AislingSiobhan)




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